Above all

What Jesus did? - for January 15

The Lord's Continuing Presence - Matthew 2:19-20

After Herod died, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. This happened while Joseph was in Egypt. The angel said, "Get up! Take the baby and his mother and go to Israel. The people that were trying to kill the baby are now dead." (ERV)

Key Thought

Isn't it interesting how the same place can mean different things for us? Egypt was that way for Israel. Egypt was a place of bondage, but it was also a place where they found food to preserve them during a famine. Egypt was a place of oppression and yet at the same time it was a place of God's great deliverance. Egypt wasn't home, but it was a place where God still was active in guiding and protecting his people and fulfilling his promises to them. As Matthew relates how Jesus was protected in Egypt even though it was not his home, all these connections with Israel's past fill our hearts and remind us of this great truth: If we are seeking to live for our Father, he knows us, he knows our situation, and he is working for our ultimate deliverance no matter where we are!

Today's Prayer

Ever-present Father, I am comforted to see how you protected your Son when he was vulnerable. I am thankful to know that there is never a place or time that your presence is not with me. Please make yourself known in my life each day, as I seek to live for you right where I am, until that day you bring me home. In Jesus' name I pray.

What Jesus did? - for January 14

Slaying the Innocents - Matthew 2:16-18
Herod saw that the wise men had fooled him. Herod was very, very angry. So Herod gave an order to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and in all the area around Bethlehem. Herod had learned from the wise men the time {the baby was born}. It was now two years from that time. So Herod said to kill all the boys that were two years old and younger. So the thing God said through the prophet Jeremiah happened: "A sound was heard in Ramah. It was bitter crying and much sadness. Rachel cries for her children; and she cannot be comforted, because her children are dead." (ERV)

Key Thought
I don't know about you, but I don't like this story. It spoils the sentimentality of the birth story of Jesus. But, at a more primal level of truth, this story of Herod's brutal paranoia shocks us awake, and helps us understand why Jesus had to come. Without a reverence for God and his Word, we human beings have shown a remarkable propensity for brutality, as culture loses sight of the preciousness of each person created in the image of God. The slaying of the innocents reminds us of how easily we slip into a mentality that puts personal protection, reputation, and position above the rights of those who are vulnerable and powerless. Just because Jesus is Immanuel, God with us, that doesn't mean he came to a safe and pristine world, or was somehow insulated from the realities of evil unleashed among us. This brutal world awaited him. That's the core of the story. Even the innocents are not protected, even if that Innocent is God among us -- as later events in Jesus life will reveal.

Today's Prayer
O God, please forgive us for the slaying of innocents today -- this is especially true when we do such things to maintain appearances while we extinguish any unexpected and unwanted "surprises." Thank you for sending Jesus in a time and in a way that exposed him to the brutality of a world, a brutality that still haunts us to this day. Thank you that his blood will cleanse any repentant sinner, even those who have been a part of the brutality. Father, please forgive me for the times I have looked at others without your love for them in my heart. In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen.

What Jesus did? - for January 13

This One Always Obeys - Matthew 2:14-15

So Joseph got up and left for Egypt with the baby and the baby's mother. They left during the night. Joseph stayed in Egypt until Herod died. This happened to make clear the full meaning of what the Lord said through the prophet. The Lord said, "I called my son to come out of Egypt." (ERV)

Key Thought
God moves in mysterious ways and uses common people to do his work and accomplish his will. The connection between an Old Testament reference and its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus depends upon Joseph's doing what God asked him to do in the middle of the night. While we know so very little about Joseph, one thing we do know: when God asked him to do the unthinkable, the crazy, and the unheard of, he didn't argue or hesitate; he obeyed. Not once, but repeatedly. I don't know about you, but I hope that I can have the courage and faith to be that bold and obedient!

Today's Prayer
Give me courage and faith, O LORD, to trust and obey as Joseph did. Humble me gently, dear Father, until my pride gives way to one truth: "No matter what God asks, this one always obeys." Father, I make this request in the name of Jesus, who lived and died to be obedient to your will and save me from my sins. Amen.

What Jesus did? -for January 12

When God Stays Away - Matthew 2:13

After the wise men left, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. The angel said, "Get up! Take the baby and his mother and escape to Egypt. Herod will start looking for the baby. Herod wants to kill him. So stay in Egypt until I tell you {it is safe}." (ERV)

Key Thought

Egypt was a long hard journey and a great unknown to this young family. Yet it was God’s place of protection. God’s commands can call us to something undesirable, unfamiliar, and uncomfortable. Yet the Father shows us his reason for these demands throughout revealed Scripture. He wants to protect us and bless us, just as he protected Joseph, Mary, and Jesus from King Herod at this crucial juncture in Jesus' life. When fully analyzed, many of God's commands are not unreasonable demands or prohibitions, but they are part of his protection. When we do what God commands, we are blessed and protected in ways we may never understand. In addition, our obedience ensures that we are available to be used by him, in his work, at his time.

Today's Prayer
Thank you, God, for caring not only about my holiness, but also for my physical and spiritual protection. Give me strength to stay away from those things you prohibit, courage to do what you ask of me, and excitement to enjoy the life I have in you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.